Hydraulic power transmission



Dec. 26, 1939. n. s. DE I AvAUD HYDRAULIC POWER TRANSMISSION Filed March 21, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheebt 1 F as S .58

1 zsaoaes asa D. s. DE LAVAUD 2,184,606

HYDRAULIC POWER TRANSMISSION x Iiled March .21., 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /ll .FIGL e1 .Fl 6.4. 'l .of 'm D 52116;@ llvvomo( Patented Dec. 26, 1939 Y 2,184,606. H YDRAULIC POWER TRANSMISSION Dimitri Sensaud de Lavaud, Paris, France Application March 21, 193e, serial No. I:0,161

In France March 25, 1935 (Cl. R32-3.2)

' 1 Claim.

Hydraulic couplings "are already known in which the hydraulic circuit is of torus-like lshape and constituted by two co-axial members pro vided with sets of blades, one of which, .fast on the driving shaft, acts as pump and the other, fast on the driven shaft, acts as receiving turbine. In these couplings, the uid is set in motion by the blades of the pump which is rotatively driven and this fluid acts on the blades of the turbine for causing the latter to rotate. Such couplings, usually known as Fottinger couplings, have an acceptable-efiiciency. only for a distinctly defined speed of the turbine relatively to that of the pump and, from this fact, cannot serve as transmission between two shafts the relative speeds of which vary within Wide limits.

For remedying this serious inconvenience and obtaining a hydraulic transmission having a continuously variable torque ratio Whilst preserving an acceptable efliciency for the entire range of gearing-down ratios between the driving shaft and the driven shaft, in the above mentioned hydraulic circuit is arranged a third member provided with blades and.prevented from rotating when the hydraulic transmission does not operate as a coupling. This member, so-called a guide vane ring and which ispreferably arranged between the outlet of the turbine blades and the inlet of the pump blades, receives the iluid at the outlet of the turbine blades and has its blades so arranged that the fluid issuing fromy the guide Vane ring returns tothe pump blades according to such a direction that the uid restores to th pump the energy which hasy not been absorbed during its passage in the blades of the turbine. In all these devices, the circulation of the fluid within the hydraulic circuit is produced by the blades of the pump-and the flow of the iiuid can be decomposed into two streams, a meridian stream and a tangential stream. 'I'his tangential stream is `always directed in the same direction as the direction of rotation of the pump.

The object of the present invention is to provide a hydraulic device in which the circulation of the fiuid is produced by the blades of the turbine and, for that purpose, it is characterised bythe fact that the device comprises a driving member rigidly secured on the driving shaft and provided with blades arranged substantially according to meridian planes, a blade wheel or turbine rigidly secured on the driven shaft andJ provided with blades and prevented from rotat` ing at least in the direction reverse to that of the rotation of the impeller or driving device and of the Iturbine, the three above mentioned inembers being co-axial and so arranged as to constitute a closed torus the casing`of which is constituted by theshell of the impeller.

Such a device considerably differs from dethat the tangential component of this flow relative to the impeller blades is directed in reverse direction to the rotation, contrarily to what took place in all devices in which pumps were used for causing the fluid to'circulate within the circuit. This fluid to which a rotary movement is imf parted, reacts onthe blades of the turbine for causing the latter to rotate, and it is these blades which, by their inclination, create the displacement or ow of the fluid within the hydraulic circuit without any possibility of tangential flow of the fluid relative to the impeller blades in the direction of rotation of the impeller. E

4Although the invention includes -in its scope the use of rigid blades arranged on the impeller substantially according to diametral or meridian planes, a convenient form of construction is characterised by the fact that the blades of the impeller are exible on the side the uid issues and are so fitted up as' to be inserted to a cer-- tain depth at their base and substantially according to meridian planes, or said blades can be slightly inclined in the direction of rotation of' the impeller. The use of impeller blades `which are flexible on the side the iiuid issues procures the following advantages: When working, said flexible blades are subjected to reactions from theuid, the resultant of said reactions representing the value of the tangential stress of the driving torque, and this resultant having for effect to inoline said blades in reverse direction to the direction of rotation,` this causing an automatic regulation relatively to the driving torque. In fact," when the blades of the impeller incline, the absolute speed of the fluid when it issues from these blades diminishes, that is to saythese blades check thecirculation of the fluid produced by the blades of the turbine. As the result thereof the power required from the impeller diminishes for a constant Vspeed of rotation, since this power is function of the circulation of the uid, whereby the speed of the impeller can increase at the same time as the torque applied thereto, this increase being the more rapid as the inclination of the blades is greater, that is to say as the latter are more flexible. This condition is fulfilled whatever may be the respective speeds of the impeller and turbine, that is to say whatever may be gearing-down ratio, or, in other words, whatever may be the ratio of the torque. This allows,

which is a very important feature, of utilising the entire power of the engine instead of utilising, as would take place with rigid blades, a portion only of the power of the engine, that is to sayof that which is exerted on the driving shaft owing to the impossibility of causing the engine to rotate at a sufllcient speed for a given resistant torque, that is to say a torque applied on the shaft of the given turbine.

Moreover, the inclination of the blades producing a reduction of the speed of circulationof the fluid for one and the same speed of rotation of the impeller and the efficiency of the hydraulic device being in reverse function to this speed of circulation, it will be seen that the use of flexible blades will cause the impeller to rotate at relatively high speeds by preserving the maximum eiiiciency owing to the fact that the meridian speed remains approximately constant. It will therefore be seen that with an impeller provided with right blades in which the speed of circulation is solely a function, for given blades of the turbine, of the speed of rotation of the impeller. it would not be possible to maintain an acceptable efficiency for high speeds of this impeller owing to an excessive speed of circulation of the fluid.

The invention further relates to a number of particular points. applied separately or according to any combinations:

1. A coupling device, actuated under the con- ,trol of the speed of the driving shaft .or of the driven shaft, is provi-ded between the shells of the turbine and impeller so as to cause both these elementsto be rendered rigid together, without slipping, when the speed of the driving or driven shaft reaches a certain value.

2. 'I'he coupling device according to 1 is constituted by an electromagnet the armature and winding of which are fitted upon the shell of one of the members to be coupled, the closing and openingof the circuit of the winding being controlled by a suitable switch automatically actuated in function of the speed of one of the driving or driven shafts.

3. The switch according to 2 is constituted by at least one mercury switch capable of rotating under the control of the driven shaft and so arranged that from a certain speed of this shaft, the mercury, under the influence of centrifugal force, automatically establishes a contact which closes the circuit of the electromagnet, rendering the impeller and turbine rigid together.

4. Use can be made of a plurality of switches according to 3, each of them closing for a definite speed of the driven shaft for instance, and a switch operated by the user allbwingv to switch on the desired mercury switch.

5. The impeller and the turbine can be rendered rigid together by means of jaws, rotatively driven by one of these devices and engaging with the other device under the action of centrifugal e force and in antagonism to resilient devices suitably calibrated, in order that theseJaWS hould be rendered operative for a definite speed of rotation of the member carrying them.

6. In order to prevent any slipping between the impeller and the turbine after the same have been rendered rigid together, the jaws are connected to the shell of the turbine through the medium of rollers fitted into notches of said jaws and capable of moving on suitable inclines provided on the turbine casing, so as to cause said jaws to wedge on the corresponding portion of the casing of the impeller.

7. These jaws might be arranged on the casing ofthe impeller so that the turbine and impeller should be rendered rigid together in function of the speed of the latter?.

8. The intermediate shaft rendered rigid with the turbine is connected to the driven shaft proper through the medium of a gear relay a1- lowing to obtain, with orwithout gearing-down, the rotation of 'the driven shaft in the same direction as or in reverse` direction to that of the intermediate shaft on which the turbine is keyed.

9. The gear relay according to 8 is actuated by an electromagnetic control.

10. This relay is constituted by a sun wheel, rigid with the intermediate shaft, with which mesh planet pinions loosely mounted on pins angularly rigid with a disc made of magnetic metal and meshing, on the other hand, with an internally toothed crown wheel keyed on the driven shaft, said discs being subjected to the action either of a fixed electromagnet for causing the driven shaft to rotate in reverse direction to that of the driving shaft, or of an electromagnet movable with the driven shaft for causing the intermediate and driven shaft to rotate in the same direction and at the same speed, or said disc freely rotating for causing disengagement between said intermediate and driven shafts.

11. For avoiding the use of high power electromagnets for rendering the disc carrying the planet pinions rigid with the armature of the electromagnet with which it has come in contact upon energisation of said electromagnet, the side faces of the disc and armature are provided with corresponding .notches which actually fit into each other.

12. For allowing mutual engagement of said notches without axial displacement of the disc carrying the pins of the planet pinions, these notches are provided in a crown wheel made of magnetic metal which is rendered angularly rigid with said disc through the medium of flexible arms in the direction of the axis of rotation of the disc.

13. In order to obtain a continuous ow in the turbine the blades of the latter hav externally the shape of half an egg-shell, whilst their inner face is concentric with the outer face of the blade situated immediately before.

The present invention relates to a number of particular points which will appear from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of example only, in which:

Fig. 1 is an axial longitudinal section of a form of construction of a hydraulic transmission device according to the invention.

Fig. 2'is a section made through different transverse planes of Fig. 1, the'upper'portion of Fig. 2 being a section made according to line A--A of Fig. 1, the left-hand portion, a section made according to line B-B of Fig. 1, the lower portion, a. section made according to line C-C of of this Figure 3 being a section made according` to line E-E of Fig. 1, and the right-hand portion, a section made according to line F.-F of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a developed section made according to line IV-IV of Fig.` 1.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic developed view of th blades of the various members.

Fig. 6 is a partial sectional view of a modication of the device rendering the driving device and the turbine rigid together.

Fig. 7 is a section made according to line VII-VII of Fig. 6, one of the ends of the jaws being partially broken away.

Fig. 8 is an axialsection made according to line VIII-VIII of Fig. 9, showing a centrifugal device for controlling the electromagneticcoupling between the impeller and the turbine shown in particular in Figs. l and 2. v

Fig. 9 is a plan view of Fig. 8, the cover being removed. I

Fig. 10 is a section made according to line X-X of Fig. 9.

In the various figures of the drawings, the same reference numbers designate the same members or members fulfilling the same function.

On the end of a' driving shaft I is iltted, in any suitable manner and for instance by means of bolts 5,' or the like, one of the shells 2a of an impeller or driving device, the other shell 2b of which is peripherally connected to shell 2a in any suitable manner ensuring perfect fluid-tightness between both shells. Thus, as illustrated in Fig. l, both shells 2a and 2b are rendered rigid together by means of screws 3, a sealing ring 4 having a cylindrical cross section being arranged in suitable recesses provided in the adjacent side .faces of shells 2a and 2b. -On the inner face of shell 2b is secured. by means of screws 6 for instance, a disc 'I on which are secured the blades 8 of the impeller device2. These blades 8 are secured, on the other hand, on an inner crown o'r rim 9 which is connected, in the case of Fig. 1, to the armature I0 of an electromagnet.

` In the form of construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, each of the blades 8 ofthe impeller is constituted by a flexible vane the end of which, located on the side the fluid enters the impeller, issecured to disc 1 and to crown 9. In the form of construction illustrated, the end of each of the blades 8 is clamped, on a certain length, in a U-shaped member II, the ends oi which t into suitable perforations provided in disc I and crown 3 andare subsequently bent down as shown-at IIa in Fig. 2, said members Il being substantially set radially.

At the end of. a shaft I2 is keyed a turbine plate I3 on which are secured the blades I4 of said turbine which are fastened, on the other hand, on an innr crown or rim I5'. In the form of construction illustrated, these blades I4 are secured on the plate I3 and crown I5. According to the invention, and in order that the section ofthe passageway offered to the iiu'id betweenVV the blades I4 should be bonstant at all points..

these blades have externally, at 13a, the shape of half an egg-shell, whilst their inner face Ilb is substantially concentric with thetouter face I3a of the blade I4 situated\immediately before. The inner crown I5 is arranged opposite the armature of electromagnet I6, and it is made of magnetic metal so as to be attracted and rendered rigid with the armature III of the electro' magnet when the latter is energised. It will therefore be seen that, at this moment, the tur- Ibine' I3 and impeller 2 are clutched so as to be substantially rigid together.

The other end of shaft I2 can be either directly connected to the member or be driven, or it can be connected to this member through the mediserving as guide vane ring. This guide vane ring is adapted to serve as bearing for the uid streams when they issue from the turbine I3 in order, to straighten them out for sending them in the' blades 8 of impeller 2 according to a suit- 'fable angle. Ihis guide vane ring I1 is tted up,

through the medium of a ball bearing I9, or the like, on .the hub I3a of the shell or-plate I3 of the turbine, said hub I3a being in its turn journalled, through the medium of a ball bearing 20, or the like, in an axial bore of the shell 2a of the impeller. Pawls 22 are pivoted about pins 2| on the guide vane ring I1, these pawls nor^ mally engaging, under the action of springs 23 suitably calibrated for substantially balancingA the weight. of said pawls, with the teeth of a ratchet 24 provided on a crown wheel 25 rigid with a stationary sleeve 2B. This sleeve 26 is secured, by means of a cheek member 33, to a plate 21 which is itself secured to the fixed casing 28 of the device. It will be seen that, when the impeller 2 and turbine I3 rotate at the same speed,

whether they are rendered rigid together or not `through the medium of thev electromagnetic or mechanical device provided for that purpose, the guide vane ring I1 will be caused to rotate in the same direction as these two elements, and the pawls 22 will immediately. be disengaged from the teeth of the ratchet 24 under the action of vcentrifugal force in antagonism to the action of springs 23, thus avoiding wear of the ratchet and pawls as well` as the noise of these latter when engaging with the teeth of said ratchet.

'I'he inner bore of disc 1, rigid with the shell 2b of impeller 2, is provided vwith teeth engaging with corresponding teeth provided at the end oi' a sleeve 29, on the other end of which is keyed a toothed pinion 30 of a gear pump, the'other pinion 3| of which is loosely mounted about a pivot pin 32. The. casing of said gear pump is constituted by the plate 21 and by a suitable cheek member 33 provided at the end of sleeve 26. Said gear pump sucks the uld in a suitable chamber 34 of the casing of the device through a piping 35. The iiuid is delivered by said pump within the hydraulic device through an annular space. 36 provided between sleeves 26 and 29. In this way, it will be seen that iiuid is delivered under vpressure within thehydraulic circuit, this having the effect of automatically compensating leakage which mightoccur, thus avoiding cavitations within said circuit. .1

'I'he winding 31 of electromagnet I0 is grounded on one side and is connected, at its other end, and through the medium of a suitably insulated wire 3 6, to a.v terminal 38 provided on the shell 2b of the impeller, but suitably insulated from said shell. Ihls terminal 3811s in contact with a conducting blade 48 which, in its turn, is-in contact with a conducting ring 4I secured, by

, any suitable means, on the shell 2b of impeller 2. On the side face of said ring 4I resiliently bears a conducting ring 42 mounted on a resilient metal disc 43 which is secured, in any suitable manner, but in such a way as to be electrically insulated from the same, on the casing 28 of the hydraulic transmission. 'I'he disc 43 is con-v nected, by a wire 44, to a. suitable source of current supply, within interposltion of at least one switch operated by hand or automatically, as will be explained later on.

The ring 42, resiliently pressed against ring 4I, owing to its mode of mounting on the resillent disc 43, constitutes at the same time a iuidtight joint preventing leakage of liquid within the casing 28. As illustrated in Fig. 1, this joint can be duplicated by another joint constituted in a similar manner by a resilient disc or ring 45 on the inner edge and outer face of which is secured a ring 45 resiliently bearing on a crown 41 rendered' rigid, by any suitable means, with the shell 2b of the impeller, said disc 45 being secured in a huid-tight manner at its periphery on the casing 28 of the hydraulic device.

In the form of construction illustrated, the free end of the intermediate shaft I2, at the other end of which the turbine is keyed, is provided with teeth 48 engaged by planet pinions 48 meshing, on the other hand. with an internally toothed crown wheel 50. This crown wheel 58, concentric with shaft I2, is rendered rigid, as well as the armature 54 of an electromagnet, with a plate I integral with the driven shaft 52. This shaft 52 is journalled in the casing 28 through the medium of ball bearings 53 and 55, and at its end is` keyed a coupling flange 56, or the like. Sealing members, two in number in the example shown, are arranged between the socket 80 of flange 56 and the casing 28. Each of these devices is constituted by a ring 51 mounted on a resilient disc 58 secured in a fluid-tight manner to the casing 28, the ring 51 resiliently bearing, owing to the disc .58, on a ring 58, or the like, mounted on the socket 60, or on the driven shaft 52. Y

The pivot pins 6I, on which the planet pinions 49 are loosely mounted, are secured, on the one hand, on a disc 62 and, on the other hand, on a crown 63. 'I'he disc 62 is loosely mounted on the intermediate shaft I2 and on the hub of this disc 52 is secured, by any suitable means such as rivets 54 and a ring 65, a resilient web having a number of radial arms 68 to the end of which is securedacircular crown 51 made of magnetic metal. In the form of construction. illustrated, this crown 61 is constituted by two identical crowns, riveted together, Fig. 4`, and between which the resilient radial arms 86 are clamped. This crown 61 is located, on the one hand, opposite the side face of the armature 54 of the electromagnet rendered rigid with the driven shaft 52 and, on the other hand, opposite `the side face of the armature 68 of an electromagnet secured, by any suitable means such as screws 69, to the frame 28 of the device.

The side faces of crown 81 and that located opposite each of the electromagnets 54 and 68 are provided with corresponding notches (see Fig. 4) so as to avoid any slipping movement between crown 61 and the armature of the electromagnet which is energised. In fact, it will be seen that, upon energisation of either` of both electromagnets, crown 61 is subjected to a inagnetic attraction whichaxially moved it in antagonism to the resiliency of radial arms 66, so that the corresponding side face of said crown comes in contact with the side face of the electroma'gnet which is energised and, owing to the mutual engagement of the notches 10 provided in these faces, it will be seen that no slipping movement occurs between both elements. This arrangement according to the invention allows of considerably reducing the power of the electromagnets which would be necessary for ensuring` the connection with crown 51 in case the faces situated. opposite -each other would be smooth. In fact, owing to the notches according to the invention, the power required from the electromagnet must be simply sufficient for attracting crown 61 in antagonism to the resiliency of arms 66.

Each of the windings of ele'ctromagnets 54 and 68 is, on the one hand grounded and, on the other hand, it is connected to one of the terminals of a suitable source of current supply with interposition of a. suitable switch. Concerning the winding of the rotary electromagnet, the connection is ensured through the medium of a conducting ring 1I, mounted on the driven shaft 52, but suitably insulated from the latter, and on this ring rubs a brush 12, or the like, mounted on casing 28 so as to be insulated from the latter and connected to the source of current supply. It Will be seen that the encrgisation of electromagnet 54 will cause the planet pinions to receive a gyratory movement with the driven shaft 452, owing to the fact that the disc 62 carrying their pivot pins is then rigid with this driven shaft, whereby the intermediate and driven shafts will rotate in the same direction and at the same speed. If electromagnet 68 is energised, the planet pinions 49 are held against gyratory movement and intermediate shaft I2 and driven shaft 52 will rotate in reverse directions.

If no` electromagnet is energised, the intermediate i shaft I, or by intermediate shaft I2, or by driven shaft 52, is rigidly secured a plate 14 on which are eccentrically secured, by any suitable means,

I two mercury switches 15 and 16. The contacts 15a, 15b and 15a, 16D of theseswitches are so arranged as to be normally opened and closed by the mercury (see the portion in dotted lines of Fig. 10). when the sp'eed of rotation of plate 14 reaches a certain predetermined value which will be different for the switches as will be seen later on.

'Ihe contacts 15a and 16a of the switches are grounded together at 11. The other contacts 15b and 16h are respectively connected to the contact pieces 80 and 8i of a manual switch, the movable arm 82 of which is connected 'to a suitlable source of. current supply 83 through the winding 31 of electromagnet I0: The connection between each of'the contacts 15b and 18h and the 55 a shaft 13 rotatatively driven eitherby drivingv contact pieces 88 and 8I is effected as follows: Contacts 18h and 19h are respectively connected to resilient contacts 84 and 85, of any suitable construction, which are mounted on the rotary plate 14 and insulated from the latter. 'I'hese .contacts 84 and 85 resiliently and respectively bear on conducting rings 88 and 81 mounted on the cover 19, so as to be electrically insulated from the latter, these rings being respectively connected to the bars 88 and 8| of the manual switch 82. It will be seen that, in this kmanner either of the switches 18 and 18 is set in action according to the position of switch 82. From this fact. the electromagnet I can be energized by either of the automatic switches 15 or 1,8, and it will be seen that by a suitable choice and adjustment of the latter, electromagnet I8 can be energized by either of two speeds of shaft 18, speeds suitably determined for instance by a greater or less eccentricity of said switches relatively to the axis ofI rotation. A

In Fig. l of the drawings,shaft 18 is driven, through the medium of a suitable transmission, from a shaft 88 on which is keyed a helical wheel 88 meshing with a corresponding helical wheel 89 rigidly secured on the driven shaft 52, but it is obvious that the invention is not limited to this form of construction, and that shaft 18 might for instance be driven from the driving shaft I.

Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings illustrate a mechanical device for rendering the impeller 2 and' turbine I3 rigid together. this device acting in function of the speed of turbine I8. The inner crown wheel I 5 of turbine I8 is provided with a shoulder ISa on which normally rest iaws or weights 9I, connected together by springs 92 suitably calibrated in function of the speed of the turbine I3 for which it is desired that the impeller 2 and turbine I8 should be rigid together. 'I'hese weights 8I are associated with the shoulder |50, through the medium of rollers A88, or the like, which iit, on the other hand, on an incline 95 provided on said shoulder I8a. The inner crown wheel 8 of the impeller is also provided with a shoulder 8a situated opposite theY weights 9| and with which comes in engagement upon operation, a wearing member 96 secured to each of said weights 9|. The operation o'f the device is as follows: When the turbine reaches the speeds at which it is desired to render it rigid with the impeller 2, the weights 9| move apart under the action of centrifugal force in antagonism to the Iaction of the calibrated springs 92 and they come in engagement with the shoulder 9a of impeller 2. As the latter, owing to th'e hydraulic slipping movement, rotates more rapidly than turbine I8, it causes said weights to ro- -tate relatively to the shoulder a in the direction of the arrow 91; the rollers 93 move on the inclines 95 and wedge the weights against shoulder 9a, thus preventing any relative slipping movement between the impeller 2 and turbine I3. As soon as the speed of the turbine I3 and, consequently, of the impeller 2 falls below the value corresponding, to the calibration of the springs 92, the latter restore the weights 9|, and v the-impeller and turbine I3 are disengaged.

The invention is not limited to the forms of construction described above and illustrated, but extends to all lthose utilising the features above set forth and allowing the desired result to be obtained.

'What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a hydraulic device for transmission of movement, an enclosure adapted to contain a licuid, a driving shaft keyed upon the said enclosure, nnpelling blades upon the said enclosure and arranged substantially according to diametral planes, a driven shaft coaxial with the said driving shaft, a turbine device keyed onto the said driven shaft, blades mounted on'the said turbine device, a guide vane ring, a movement selecting device connecting the said guide vane ring to the frame whereby the said guide vane ring is prevented from rotating in a direction reverse to the direction of rotation common to the said driving'and driven shafts, an electromagnet including an armature and a winding connected respectively to the said turbine device and to the said impelling blades, a source of currentv connected'to the said winding, a plurality of automatic switches interposed between the said source and the said winding and mounted in parallel between them, a manually operated switch for putting in circuit one of the said automatic switches, each of which is operative for a deiinlte speed of rotation of one of said devices. n

DIMITRI BENSAUD nl LAVAUD. 

